Double Dealing
by OldGregg55
Summary: Pearl's life hasn't been easy, but she would like to think of herself as a very sensible person. But when she's suddenly shipped off to tutor her trouble-making cousin, she questions if she'll be able to handle everything that comes her way. The last thing she was expecting, however, was accidentally becoming someone's boyfriend. Pearlapis human AU that could be interesting.
1. Prologue

There are many words I would use to describe myself. I am a perfectionist with a sizable amount of knowledge on a plethora of topics and value organization. I'm very fashionable, always wearing very elegant and stylish clothing and never leaving the house without at least one piece of jewelry adorning my body. I'm attractive, always using beauty products that will enhance and compliment my fair skin, strawberry blonde hair, and blue-grey eyes; along with sticking to a strict diet and exercise schedule to maintain my slender figure. I'm talented, my skills ranging from ballet to violin to singing. I'm intelligent, a straight-A student with excellent test scores and a promising future ahead of me. Coming from a wealthy and influential family, all these things are required of me.

Which may have to do with all my flaws. I may seem like the epitome of perfection, but I am far from it. From a young age I was expected to keep up an appearance that wasn't my own. The real me had faults, and that was something that wasn't tolerated. If I slipped up even a little, I would be chastised and told I wasn't being good or pretty enough. I had to be perfect, flawless, exemplary, never once making a mistake. I was like a servant to my own family. I was only there to be shown off to the public as my parents' perfect little girl.

It hurt my self-confidence and self-esteem quite a bit. I was constantly nervous, always questioning myself and looking for other's approval, though I would never show it. I became obsessive compulsive, always striving to make sure that I, as well as everything around me, was prime and proper. If I saw a book out of place on a book shelf, my fingers would twitch until I was able to fix it. If I noticed a hair straying from it's place on my head, I would put it where it belonged, convinced that everyone could see this insignificant detail and was judging me on it.

I had to pretend I was someone I wasn't. Even in the comfort of my own home, I still felt like I was on stage performing the role of a rich, reputable girl with an air of grace that had been taught to me for years. It became difficult for me to distinguish the real me from the me I projected to everyone else. I suppose I could add 'acting' to my lists of talents.

Maybe that's why I was so easily drawn into such an illusive scheme. Yes, scheme is a fitting word for the situation I had ultimately brought upon myself. It started out innocently enough, but grew into something much more complicated as I sank deeper and deeper into an ocean of deceit and lies. I could've stopped at any minute and come clean, but I didn't. I had wanted so badly to be accepted and show a side of myself that no one had ever known, I couldn't stop. I never meant for it to go so far and I certainly never meant to hurt someone I loved so dearly.

I had an opportunity to get away from my parents and all the responsibilities they had forced upon me. It was my chance to actually be myself and show the world who I really was. Ironically, I had, by hiding myself even further. But this time, instead of hiding behind heels and skirts, I hid in sneakers and faded jeans. By being someone else I had found who I really was.

As I said before, the real me had faults. I am imperfect, I have flaws, I make mistakes. Without someone there to tell me what to do or how to act, I had made the biggest mistake of my life. I just wanted to feel confident, secure, and complete instead of weak, insecure, and anxious like I normally was. But I had done it the wrong way and I had messed up things for everyone. I wish I had known better.

I had no idea that the days ahead of me would be the best and worst days of my life.

* * *

(A/N: I have written a new story, whoo! This is only a prologue, though. I'm not as confident about this story as I am with my other one, so I thought I would just post a little chapter now to start things off, and if people like it, I will work from there. If it turns out people do like this, then I'll be putting up the first _real_ chapter tomorrow. So, tell me what you think! Is it good or bad? Should I continue or not?

Thanks for taking the time to read this~)


	2. Chapter 1

I twisted my hands nervously as I gazed up at the house resting on a cliff overlooking the sea. The sun beat down on my bare shoulders and I was afraid I might get burned standing here for too long, but I couldn't bring myself to lift my feet from the sand to the stairs that led up to the house.

My aunt Opal had been telling my mother for months about how my cousin was acting out and how bad her grades were. I knew that Amethyst was a rebellious child, she had been that way since my aunt adopted her, but it seemed like in her teenage years she was becoming worse. Apparently, Mother thought so too and had arranged for me to live with them over summer break. During my time here, I was suppose to tutor Amethyst and instill some of my good behavior in her so she wouldn't be such a problem.

I loved Amethyst as much as I would any other cousin, but she was a handful. She was a year or two younger than me and was quite strong and reckless. The last time I had seen her was at my 12th birthday party where she had attempted to drink the entire bowl of punch and ended up spilling it over herself and two other girls. She refused to apologize and instead ran off to jump in the pool so she could 'clean herself off'. It was incredibly rude and embarrassing, though she didn't seem to care. If that's how she was back then and it's only gotten worse, how was I suppose to handle it?

Ill-mannered family members aside, I was also thousands of miles from home. Amethyst and her family lived in a small town across the country called Beach City. It was a nice tourist attraction with its beautiful beaches and entertaining boardwalks. The town as a whole seemed nice enough, but I didn't know anyone here. I had never been here before, my parents insisting I had too many responsibilities to go on vacation, so it was completely new to me. In the short time it took me to walk from the bus station to the address I was given, I already had sand in my shoes.

I was incredibly uncomfortable and overwhelmed. I was excited that I got to see my family, but I wished that it wasn't under these circumstances. From what I understood, my aunt was currently juggling her job, a new boy she adopted that I hadn't met yet, and Amethyst with her behavioral issues. She was a strong, respectable women that had overcome many great obstacles by herself. If she was desperate enough to get help from me, it must be pretty bad.

With some trepidation, I picked up my bag and began my ascent up the long stairs. Once I was at the top I took a moment to brush off and straighten my dress and then knocked softly on the wooden part of the screen door. I heard the patter of feet come running before the door was thrown open.

"Hi!" I was met with a toothy grin from a small boy with curly brown hair. He wore a pair of shorts and a black shirt with a print made to look like a suit and tie. His eyes sparkled and his chubby cheeks were flushed. I didn't think I'd ever seen a boy quite so happy about answering a door before.

"Are you Steven?" I asked bending down to his height with a smile. I hadn't heard much from my parents about him, although I couldn't imagine why. I had just met him and already I was in love with this adorable boy!

He gasped. "How did you know? Are you magic!?"

"Who's at the door, Steven?" said a voice before I could answer. A moment later Aunt Opal came up behind Steven, a smile forming on her lips as soon as she saw me. "Pearl!"

"Whoa, you're Pearl!?" Steven's eyes lit up even brighter than they had before. "I didn't know you would be showing up today! Oh man, wait right here, I have to get something!"

Opal chuckled as she watched Steven run off somewhere into the house. "I guess I forgot to tell him. Please, come in."

She stepped aside and let me into her simple but cozy looking home. To my left was a living room with a sofa and coffee table, with a small loft above that was set up like a makeshift bedroom. To my right was a kitchen with a long counter separating it from the living room. Just past the living room and kitchen was a short hallway that broke off into another section of the house I couldn't see. It was certainly smaller than what I was used to, but I didn't think it would take me too long to adjust.

"Amethyst, your cousin is here!" Opal called.

Opal and I had a lot of similarities being directly related through my mother. Both of us were tall, had the same nose shape, eye color, and similar composed temperaments. She had a curvier figure, long silvery blonde hair, and a smooth, melodic voice. She was very attractive and I always wondered why she never married, because it would be easy for her to land a husband. She said she felt more comfortable being a single mother, but sometimes it was a difficult task, and that's why I was here.

"It's good to see you." I greeted as she gave me a hug.

"It's been so long since I've seen you!" She exclaimed as she held me out at arm's length. "Look at how big you've grown! You're nearly as tall as me."

I laughed nervously, not knowing if that was a compliment. "It runs in the family."

Steven suddenly came running back in the room carrying a large grey and black cat in his arms. He stopped in front of me and held up the cat who looked very unhappy to be there. "This is Lion! He's a kitten I found outside digging in the sand and now he's my best friend! He likes to sleep on my face sometimes."

"He's... He's very nice, Steven..." I said as politely as I could. I've never cared too much for cats, they frightened me a little, especially big ones. They were vicious creatures that could easily scratch you with their sharp claws and cause all sorts of bacteria to infect your skin. I didn't know how anyone could think this giant thing was a kitten, he was huge! Steven came closer with Lion and insisted I pet him, but I yelped and backed away quickly, almost falling backwards.

"What's wrong?" Steven frowned and lowered the cat. "Amethyst said you would love him."

We all turned when we heard a loud snort and found Amethyst leaning against a wall with a smug smile on her face. My face burned with anger and embarrassment. Of course, she would've set something like this up as soon as I got here. I straightened my shoulders and composed myself, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of seeing my discomfort.

"Amethyst, you know Pearl doesn't like cats." Opal chastised her lightly. Amethyst only laughed and walked over to us.

"What? It was funny, right?" She looked to me, but I glared down at her.

Amethyst and I were basically opposites, in both personality and looks. She was abnormally short for her age, the doctors speculating she might have a form of dwarfism. She looked different than I had remembered, though. For one, she had frosted the tips of her dark hair lavender and it had grown so long it almost touched the floor. She had bright purple lipstick that contrasted against her dark skin and she was wearing very revealing clothing. She had also gained weight, but I couldn't tell if it was muscle or fat. Knowing her, it was probably a little of both.

"We must have different senses of humor." I said folding my arms. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence and Opal gave everyone worried looks.

"Pearl," She began with a cheery smile. "why don't you have a seat? You must be exhausted from your trip. Tell me about your family and how your ballet classes have been going."

"There's a lot, I suppose..." I said with a laugh as I was guided to sit on the couch. Steven let go of his cat, who ran off somewhere outside, and sat next to me and listened intently as I talked as if I was the most interesting person in the world. We all made light conversation, talking about our lives and what we've all been doing since we last saw each other. I was properly introduced to Steven who showed me his ukulele and played a song for me. I appreciated that everyone was trying to make me feel welcome. Everyone except Amethyst, who sat away from everyone else and pouted the whole time, occasionally checking her phone as if this was boring. I would catch her glaring at me sometimes and I could feel myself getting anxious. I barely got here and already she was angry with me! How would she act when I started tutoring her and she had to do work?

I did my best not to think about it and focused my attention to the others who were laughing and joking and talking about their lives. It helped, and before we knew it, it was dark out. Steven complained that he was hungry and Opal offered to make him something to eat. She was about to ask if I wanted anything, but Amethyst cut her off to suggest that she show me my room. It surprised us all, but my aunt thought it was a good idea, so I picked up my bag and followed Amethyst down the hall.

"This is it." Amethyst said kicking open the door to one of the rooms. I peered inside and saw the spacious room that looked like it had been set up specifically for me. The walls were painted a soft sandy color with a few serene pictures of the ocean hanging on them. There was a light pink oval rug laying on the wooden floor boards by the bed, and the bed spread was my favorite shade of light teal with cream colored pillows. Next to the bed was a white desk with a single lamp on it, it's lamp shade decorated with tiny pastel seashells. The room was very neat and tidy, though it looked like there were a few things I would rearrange to make myself more comfortable. Other than those minor details, it was perfect!

"You can put your junk in that closet over there." She said pointing to the door on the other side of the room. I grimaced at the fact that she just called my belongings "junk" but thanked her anyway. "Now hurry up and get ready, we're leaving soon."

"Leaving? Where are we going?" I asked, confused. I hadn't heard anything from my aunt about going anywhere.

"A party." Amethyst said rolling her eyes. "A rave, to be more specific."

"What!?" I shrieked. I had never been to a rave before, but I had heard about them. They were suppose to be crazy parties that teenagers threw with ear splitting music, blinding flashing lights, and illegal substances. The thought of being at one of those atrocities made me cringe. "I can't go to that!"

"You can and you will!" Amethyst shot back and sighed. "Look, a friend of mine is DJing there and he said he could get me in for free. It's suppose to be a big thing and I really want to go but I'm only allowed to if you come with me to 'make sure I stay out of trouble', so you're coming."

"What if I refuse to go?" I challenged her, folding my arms.

She gave me a devilish smirk and flipped her hair out of her face. "Then I won't do anything you say. If you refuse to do what I want, then I'll refuse to do what you want. Then I'll tell your mommy and daddy how you did a horrible job of watching me."

I pressed my lips together tightly and turned my head away from her. So she was blackmailing me now? If I gave into her demands, she would treat me like this for the rest of the summer. But if I didn't, she might do something worse. I was already starting to regret agreeing to come here, not that I really had a choice in the first place. Mother and Father forced me to come here so they could show off to their friends how nice their daughter was to be helping her wayward cousin. If I went home early or returned with bad news, I would be a huge disappointment. I didn't think I could handle the shame and embarrassment of it. I sighed in defeat and unfolded my arms. After all, my job here _was_ to make sure Amethyst didn't get into trouble, so going to this would mean I was doing what I had to.

"Fine, I'll go."

"Sweet!" Amethyst rubbed her hands together. "Now, a lot of cool people are gonna be there, so you're going to have to change all of... that."

"What's wrong with this?" I asked looking down at myself. I didn't think there was anything wrong with my pink floral print dress. And I had just done my hair and makeup before coming over here, so it shouldn't be messed up. Did I really look that bad?

"You look prissy and gross. I don't want any of my friends thinking my cousin is some kind of stiff. All the clothes you brought look like this, don't they?" I nodded hesitantly. I really didn't like how she was criticizing me so harshly. She rolled her eyes. "Ugh, okay come on. You can borrow something of mine."

"I'm not sure anything of your's will fit me..." I said as I followed her to what I assumed was her room. She paused outside her door and spun around to face me.

"Are you trying to say I'm fat!?"

"What? No!" I put my hands up defensively. "N-No, I would never-"

She laughed and punched me in the arm. "I'm kidding!" With that she opened the door while I cradled my injured arm. As soon as the door was opened, I gagged and pinched my nose to keep out the noxious odor of what smelled like greasy pizza and sweaty socks. My eyes widened when I saw the horror that was Amethyst's room.

It looked like a bomb had gone off in there! It was completely trashed. There was so much stuff on the ground, I couldn't even see the floor. It was littered with dirty laundry, crumbled papers, discarded food wrappers and boxes, broken sports equipment, random instruments, DVD cases, and I think I even saw parts of a refrigerator! Her bed was simply a mattress on the floor full of stuffed animals, pillows and blankets with a small place cleared out for someone small enough like her to sleep there. Her faded, purple walls were covered in crooked posters, some of which were ripped or falling off. I could feel myself getting anxious just being in here, my O.C.D. beginning to act up. It took every fiber of my being to keep myself from screaming and go on a cleaning rampage at that very moment.

"Don't mind the mess." Amethyst said nonchalantly, but I was _very much minding the mess._ She walked over the stuff in her room with ease like it was nothing, and went to a pile of clothing sitting on top of what looked like a dresser. I stood in the doorway as she rummaged through it, silently praying she would at least be courteous enough to choose something clean for me to wear. Suddenly an article of clothing was tossed to me and I caught it, holding it away from me.

"See if that fits." She instructed. I hesitantly unraveled it and held it up for me to look at it. It was a dark blue shirt with holes ripped in it that looked like it could fit a toddler. I frowned and began folding it neatly.

"I don't think so."

She continued to give me clothes to inspect but I rejected them all. Our body types were just too different for us to share clothing. Even if they did fit, none of them were my style and most of them were ripped to shreds. Amethyst began to get frustrated and started pulling open drawers to look in there.

"Hey what about these?" She tossed me a pair of blue denim jeans followed by a red flannel shirt.

"Amethyst, these are men's clothes, why do you even have them?"

"I dunno, I probably thought they were cool and bought them. I have no idea where most of my stuff comes from. Do they fit or not?"

I sighed and held them up. They did look bigger than the other clothes she gave me, but I wasn't sure if they would fit. I held the pants against my legs and sure enough, they were long enough for me to wear.

"I think they might... But I can't wear boy clothes."

"Why not? Wouldn't it be cool to be a boy for the night?" She laughed but stopped. She looked lost in thought and then her whole face lit up. "Hey, yeah! You could pretend to be a boy at the party! You're tall and you got short hair, you could totally pull it off. It'll be fun!"

"I... I can't do that." I scoffed and began to fold the clothes. "It wouldn't work out. I'd rather keep looking."

"We already wasted a lot of time looking for something for you to wear." She moaned. "Just wear that. Pretend to be my guy cousin. You can do that right? Besides, it's only for tonight. And then people won't recognize you later and you won't ruin your precious reputation."

"But-"

"Don't be lame, P!"

I huffed and looked down at the clothes. She did make a good point, I wouldn't be recognized later. And I really didn't want people in town to remember me for showing up at a rave party. The more I thought about it, the more tempting it sounded. And it was just one night...

"Fine. I need shoes, though."

"I'll see what I got!" Amethyst scurried back into her room to rummage some more while I made my way to my room to change. I set the clothes down on the bed and went to my bag to pull out a perfume of mine and spray them with it. It was a feminine scent, but I was not going to wear something that smelled so awful, even if it was a disguise. I slipped off my dress and button up the shirt on me. I looked at myself to see if it fit properly. It was a bit loose, but not too much. The pants fit just as I thought they would, and already I could see a difference between myself before and myself now. I took out my diamond earrings and hung up my dress in the closet.

I couldn't believe I was actually doing this. Me, dressing up like a boy to go to a rave! It was my first day here and already I had lost my mind. But it was either put up with this now or deal with Amethyst's rage for the next three months. Besides, it's not like I was going to enjoy this party so why should I care about how I look? I shook my head and went to the bathroom to clean off my makeup. Amethyst came in just as I was finishing up with a pair of grey converse. She looked like she had also changed her attire, as now she was wearing a tight fitted, long sleeved, leopard print shirt and short-shorts. She paused when she saw me, a huge smile spreading across her face.

"Holy crap, you look so different!"

"Thanks." I said flatly as I patted my face dry with a towel. She handed me the shoes and I sat on the toilet to pull them on. They were a little tight on me, but I thought I could put up with them for a night.

"Here, let me just-" Amethyst wet her hands in the sink and then ran her fingers through my hair, messing it up. I protested that she was hurting me but she ignored me and continued until she was satisfied. "There!"

I stood up to look at myself in the mirror. She had spiked my pixie cut into a more masculine style. I straightened the collar of my shirt and stared at my reflection. I tilted my chin upward to look at my narrow pale face from a different angle. Without my makeup, my freckles could be seen a lot more clearly and my jawline looked sharper. It was quite an impressive transformation and if I didn't know me, I might mistake myself for a young man. But impressive or not, I felt ridiculous. What would my mother think if she saw me like this?

"Wow, P, you look great. You can't even see your tiny tits." She lunged forward and cupped my breasts through my shirt and bra before I had time to react.

"Amethyst!" I shouted. I pushed her hands away and folded my arms firmly across my chest, my cheeks turning bright red. She laughed at me.

"Chill, I'm just messing with you." She turned to the mirror and reapplied her bright lipstick before motioning for me to follow her out of the bathroom. "C'mon, let's go!"

We found Steven sitting on a stool at the counter eating a sandwich and chips. He turned to us smiling, but his jaw dropped and his eyes bulged when he saw me. "Pearl, what happened to all your pretty clothes?"

I frowned and began to feel self-conscious. Even a young child thought I looked strange! "It's just for tonight, Steven. I'll change when we get back."

"Hurry up, you're taking forever!" Amethyst called from the screen door.

"Shouldn't we tell Opal we're leaving?" I asked as I followed her outside, being sure to wave goodbye to Steven.

"Nah, she'll probably forget anyway." She replied as she descended the stairs ahead of me. I looked back to the house wondering if I should go back and say something anyway, but decided against it and followed her.

The one thing I was grateful for was that these shoes provided more protection from the sand than my flats did, but that was the one and only thing. Everything else about this night was just awful. The walk was pretty uneventful, aside from Amethyst calling to a few people she knew. Her friends would call to me too, wondering who I was, but I just hunched my shoulders and quickened my pace. Once we approached the large building that was holding the event, things got just as hectic as I was afraid they would. I could hear the atrocious wobbly bass of dubstep music from a block away that only got louder as we walked through the alley that led to the back.

There was a long line of people waiting to get in, but we walked right past them so Amethyst could tell the bouncer her name. Some of the people in the line were shouting at us to get to the back and I did my best to hide my face from them to ensure no one would recognize me. As soon as the bouncer knew who Amethyst was and that I was with her, he let us in, which I was thankful for because the line of protesting people got angrier that we were allowed in before them.

Why any of those people wanted so badly to be in here, I will never know. Inside the music was so loud that I cringed and covered my ears, and even then the bass vibrated my entire body and made me sick. Everything was bathed in black lights that made neon colors pop out and glow on people's clothes. There were people dancing all around us with glow sticks in hand or around their necks.

In one corner was a group of people huddled together and cheering on a fight. In another corner, a drunk boy was jumping up and down on a table as his friends chanted something I couldn't understand. I saw a few couples mixed into the crowd making out shamelessly. There was even one boy that was going around and flirting with every girl within a ten foot radius of himself. I shivered and was slightly relieved I was wearing this disguise, otherwise he might try the same thing on me!

Amethyst called to me but I couldn't hear her over the music and people. "What!?" I could barely hear myself yelling.

"Isn't this awesome!?" She repeated louder. I shook my head vigorously.

"No! No, why would you ask me that!?"

She simply laughed and grabbed my hand to drag me somewhere else. I wanted to object but I knew it wouldn't do any good. Instead I did my best to keep up with her fast pace, although it was extremely difficult. If it were under different circumstances, I'm sure I would've been able to keep up with her short legs no problem, but with everyone around it was like trying to run through syrup. I was tripping over feet, brushing against shoulders, and ramming into people's sides. I apologized every chance I could, but I don't think anyone heard me or cared.

"Hey!" I cried to her. "Could you please slow dow-!"

Suddenly I slipped in a puddle of liquid on the tiled floor. I lost my grip on Amethyst's hand and fell flat on my face. The force of the impact left my head spinning and for a moment I wasn't even sure what happened. I groaned and slowly propped myself up on my elbows and I was vaguely aware of the people around me laughing. The entire front of my shirt was soaked with whatever I had slipped in, which smelled suspiciously like alcohol. I blinked and stood up to look for Amethyst, but I couldn't see her anywhere.

"Amethyst!?" I called into the crowd but I got no response.

She left me! She dragged me into the middle of a crowd that was now laughing at my misfortune, and just left me there!

I was so embarrassed! I felt dizzy and I couldn't breathe. For the hundredth time that night, someone bumped into me and almost sent me toppling to the floor again. Luckily, I caught my balance and only stumbled a bit before I twisted my head back and forth, looking frantically all around the room.

I needed to get out of here! I didn't care if Amethyst got in trouble because I wasn't with her, I refused to stay in this hellhole for a second longer! I was having the worst bout of social anxiety in my entire life! I chose a random direction and started pushing my way through the sea of people. I didn't know if I was going in the right direction or not, but I kept going. I completely shut down all my senses, putting myself on auto pilot as I fought my way through everyone until finally, somehow, I found a door that led outside. It wasn't the door we had come in from, but I shoved it open anyway.

I took a moment to compose myself, gasping as I tried to catch my breath. I had no idea how or when, but I had gotten glitter all down the front of my clothes and someone had manged to put a cup of punch in my hand, and a glow stick necklace on me. I threw the cup to the ground and tore the glow stick off my neck, not even caring that I was technically littering. My hands were shaking and I couldn't make them stop. I was so upset, I felt like screaming and crying at the same time. Why did I ever come here? Why didn't I stand up for myself and say no? I could be at home right now wearing dry, comfortable clothes and reading a book instead of being here, cold, helpless, and on the verge of tears!

"Leave me alone! I told you already, I have a boyfriend!"

I was torn from my thoughts when I suddenly heard a girl shouting. I turned my head and saw a girl being pinned against a wall by the same guy I had seen inside flirting with other girls.

"C'mon, baby, don't be like that." He said in a disgustingly sweet voice as he tilted her chin up to his face.

"I'm not your 'baby' and I said no!" She swatted his hand away but he continued to pursue her.

I clenched my jaw as rage began to swell inside me. What was this guy's problem? Did he not know the meaning of the word no!? He was really getting on my nerves and after everything that just happened, I had no patience to deal with this in a civilized manner. I balled my fists and stomped over there, shoving myself between the two of them who both looked equally shocked to see me.

"What do you think you're doing?" I demanded. I stood up straighter and deepened my voice to seem more intimidating, which seemed to work because he looked taken aback.

"Whoa, what the-"

"She said no." I told him firmly. He blinked before smirking at me and pushing his brown bangs from his eyes.

"You got it all wrong. Her and I are just having some fun, right, cupcake?"

"Fuck you!" She spat at him from behind me. She obviously didn't want him around, but he just grinned as if what she said meant nothing. And to make things worse, he winked and blew a kiss toward her. This guy was infuriating! He really _didn't_ know the meaning of the word no! I was so angry I could've punched him right then, but I held myself back.

"You better back off." I warned and took a menacing step toward him. He seemed unfazed and kept that same self-absorbed smirk on his face.

"Look, buddy, this really isn't any of your business. This is between me and her." he stepped forward and reached for her arm. "So why don't you just step aside and-"

"I said _back... off!_ " I couldn't contain myself any longer. I lifted my arms and shoved his shoulders so roughly that he stumbled backwards, nearly falling on the ground. He stared at me with wide eyes and his mouth hanging open. I glared daggers at him, my nostrils flaring and my fists trembling at my sides.

"Dude, chill!" He put his hands up defensively and started backing away slowly. "I'll leave, jeez!"

I watched him as he ran away around the corner. My heart was pounding in my chest and I was panting. I slicked my hair back from my forehead that was moist with sweat.

I felt... I felt great! I couldn't believe myself! That guy was terrified of me! Me, dainty little Pearl, sent someone running away from me in fear! I had actually protected someone from a potentially dangerous situation all by myself! I had been strong and intimidating and just... amazing! It was such an invigorating feeling, I didn't want it to end! I smiled and internally praised myself for doing such a great job.

"I could've handled that myself, you know."

I turned around to the girl I had just protected who was frowning at me with her hand on her hip. Now that I wasn't dealing with that guy, I was able to get a better look at her. She was thin and significantly shorter than me with short, electric blue dyed hair and deep blue eyes. She had a blue glow stick bracelet around her wrist and a lot of her tanned skin was showing with her loose fitted blue crop-top and black shorts. (She really liked the color blue, didn't she?)

But why was she looking at me like that? Didn't I just do something nice for her? Why wasn't she happy about it? Did I do something wrong? The blood drained from my face and I averted my eyes.

"I-I... I didn't- I didn't mean to-"

"I get it, okay? You saw a damsel in distress and had to swoop in and save her. I understand that it's a guy thing, but seriously, I probably would've punched him in the throat."

Guy thing? What did she mean by...? I looked down at myself and realized what she meant. She thought I was a boy!

"Oh! Oh, no, I-"

"I'm sorry!" She cut me off again, shaking her head. "I don't mean to be rude, I'm just a bit frustrated. That guy was so... Ugh! I appreciate that you helped me, though. Not many guys would do that."

She appreciated me? No one's... ever told me that before. I mean, my parents had told be that they appreciated me, but they only appreciated things I did if it suited them. If I did something they hadn't approved of, I would be looked down upon. But this was something I had done on my own! And she liked it! It made me feel a lot more confident about myself to know that I was capable of such great things. I was like a hero; I was even hiding my identity! I smiled and rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly.

"Y-You're welcome." I said, deepening my voice to keep up my facade. I sounded like a twelve year old that hadn't quite reached puberty yet, but it was the best I could do when I wasn't angry. In the back of my mind I knew I shouldn't be lying to her like this, but I quickly blocked it out. I could go back to being plain old me once the night was over. Right now, I wanted to ride out feeling big and powerful while I could. Besides, I probably wouldn't see her like this after tonight anyway.

"My name's Lapis." She said extending her hand, and I shook it. "What about you?"

"Puh..." I almost said Pearl. I couldn't tell her my real name! That would give away that I wasn't actually a boy and she would know who I was! She squinted her eyes at me and I knew she was getting suspicious so I blurted out the first name that came to mind that started with a 'p'. "Pierre!"

She raised her eyebrows and smiled. "Pierre? Fancy! I didn't know fancy boys like you liked to come to things like this."

"It's not fancy, it's French..." I said furrowing my brow. She giggled and released her hand from mine.

"You're pretty cool." She dragged her top teeth over her bottom lip and looked toward the door. "I should go find my boyfriend. We got split up when I went to find the bathroom and then this whole thing happened. But, here, let me give you my number!"

My smiled dropped from my face and my eyes widened. "Oh, you don't have to-"

Before I could object, she pulled a permanent marker from her bra, grabbed my wrist, pulled up my sleeve and started writing on my inner arm. She smiled when she was done and let me have my arm back. "There you go! Gimme a call and maybe we can hang out sometime!"

With that she jogged away and left me standing there by myself. I watched her go inside and then looked down at the numbers scribbled in blue ink on my arm. My only thought was that this was going to be a pain to wash off.

* * *

(A/N: I know I said I was going to post this last week but I didn't because I can't seem to post anything on time. I haven't gotten the chapter for my other story posted yet either, ahaha. This was the longest chapter I've ever written before, but it seemed wrong to break it into two chapters. I don't think future chapters will be this long, but we'll see. There were a few people who said they really liked this, so I hope I don't disappoint you all with this story! I've never been to a rave before, or any kind of crazy party, so I was going purely off what I've seen on TV. Tell me what you thought and I will try to get this updated at a much faster rate than before.)


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